Saturday, November 17, 2007
Independence Day - Dzien Niepodleglosci
The 11th of November is a special day for Poles, celebrated as Independence Day, marking Poland’s return to the map of sovereign European states after 123 years of foreign rule. Naturally, regaining independence is not an event that could be discussed in terms of one specific date in calendar, but rather a long and complex process. This special date, however, marks a series of important events that gave the day a symbolic meaning. Among those events: an armistice was signed, ending long and bloody World War I; German troops deployed in Warsaw since August 5, 1915, were disarmed; and Jozef Pilsudski, the most esteemed politician at that time, held talks on assuming power and re-creating the Polish state.
[The foregoing is adapted from material disseminated by the Polish Information Agency.]
